Victor Orta handed big chance to sign 26y/o striker, £25m will get deal done for Leeds – reports
Leeds United sporting director Victor Orta has been offered Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi as the Whites look to strengthen for the Premier League.
The Express relayed the news put out by Get French Football and said that Chelsea would accept an offer of £25m for Batshuayi.
However, the Express claimed that his £100k-a-week wages would be a problem for Leeds and could scupper a move if he doesn’t agree to a pay cut.
Batshuayi at £100k-a-week? No thanks
Batshuayi is another player who’s gone to Chelsea and been unable to make the breakthrough.
The 26-year-old signed for the London club four years ago for £35m from Marseille. Since then he’s only made 77 appearances and scored 25 goals.
His record for Belgium – one of the best international teams in the world – is much better. He’s scored 16 goals in 29 games for his country.
Batshuayi is out of contract next summer and will be desperate for regular first-team football ahead of the delayed Euro 2020 finals.
He was a regular starter in the Euro qualifiers but was benched for the last two games of the campaign.
There’s a striker there. He’s scored at a decent rate for every club he’s been at and he’s not the first elite player that Chelsea have signed and done nothing with.
But, while the Express claim his £100k-a-week wages could scupper a deal, we’ll be more forthright.
There is no way that Leeds will sign a striker who has question marks over his head for that much money. Not a chance.
And he would have to take a massive wage cut before we’d even begin to believe a deal could be possible, especially with a £25m fee on top.
Plus there’s the added complication of doing business with Frank Lampard.
With all the will in the world, that’s not going to happen.
In other Leeds United news, Phil Hay delivers Bielsa update, expects Leeds to confirm major loan signing this week